Beautiful surroundings, peace and quiet

The biggest asset of our surroundings is a beautiful, morainal landscape. It is sparsely populated and thanks to it, it is a dream place for people aho desire peace and quiet. You can relax actively here (bikes, race skiing, Nordic walking) or you can normally laze about in the beautiful surroundings. Old architecture is dominating here (it remembers the times of East Prussia) incorporated into the rural and woody landscape.

Romincka forest

It is a big forest complex separated by the Polish-Russian border. One third of it (12.5 thousand hectare) is on the Polish side. The countryside is undulating and it is spotted with valleys and rivers thank to which this forest has a big variety of habitats. Boreal forest with big amount of spruce predominate here. A range of interesting marshy communities can be found on this land. Many interesting elements of nature have a status of reserves which are protected. Althought an average age of wood is merely 50 years, many old-growth forests are preserved here.

Romincka Forest Landscape Park

The Polish part of Romincka forest and its surroundings is protected as a landscape park. Many educational and nature paths were created here. They can be visited without anybody's guidance. In Żytkiejmy there is a registered office of the park (open Mon-Fri; 7.30 a.m. - 3.30 p.m.) where you can visit a museum room devoted to nature. You can get some information about touristic trails, educating paths. here. See Romincka Forest Landscape Park

Bridges in Stańczyki

Double bridges over the small Bledzianka river are an interesting remaining of the odl railway track connecting Gołdap and Gąbin (now Gusiew in Russia), which were to revive the economy of East Prussia in the past. Many railway embankments, railway stations, bridges and overpasses, viaducts survived until today. Bridges in Stańczyki are the most remarkable (36,5 m high, 250 m long) and they are extremely popular. They were designed by Italian architects who were inspired by the Roman aquaducts. That is why they are called "aquaducts of the Nord".

The triangle of Poland, Lithuania, Russia

A few kilometers to the east of Żytkiejmy three borders of Poland, Lithuania and Russia meet. This place is marked with a granite pole. Thanks to Poland's membership in the EU, the Polish-Lithuanian border can be crossed everywhere. However, crossing the Polish - Russian or the Lithuanian - Russian border is forbidden.

Watering place

In the viciinity there are a few lakes with beaches available for everyone. The closest popular lake to Żytkiejmy is called Tobellus Duży (Big Tobellus) and it is near Stańczyki (about 6 km - it is shown in the picture) and Pobłędzie lake (also about 6 km from Żytkiejmy). If the weather is bad you can have trip to an aquapark i Suwałki or Druskienniki (in Lithuania).

War-time graveyards

In the area there are two nicely kept martial graveyards since the period of World War I. The first one is 5 minute walk from the Hut! While the second one (shown in the picture) is in Dubeninki by the Żytkiejmy-Gołdap road. In that place soldiers of Russian and German enemy troops rest in peace. During World War I the common burial of soldiers was a natural sign of soldiers' honor. The lovers of historic souvenirs will also find in the vicinity many civil Evangelical graveyards created before the World War II (but most of them are destroyed and neglected)

Wilhelm's stones

Romincka forest has been a hunting area for ages. This activity was reserved for the most importent dignitaries of Prussia and Germany. A few stones honoring hunting successes of the German Cesar and the king of Prussia - Wilhelm II remained until today. Some of them are by touristic paths while finding others can be a challenge and an adventure!

In the forest you can encounter stones honoring other hsitoric figures e.g. forest inspectors and even a dog...

Piękna Góra (Beautiful Mountain)

It lies near to Gołdap. Piękna Góra is a winter sport centre. In winter, its attractions are ski runs, ski-lifts, a sledging track, a snowbord park. Routes are lit and if needed they are artificially snowed over. On the spot, you can go to a ski rental service. In summer, a chair lift is open. On the peak you can see a panorama view of the vicinity, including Gołdap. If there is good visibility you can see Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia). At the foot of Piękna Góra there is an inn.

Events

The biggest number of cyclical events take place in summer. It is among others "Kartaczewo" (Kartacz - is a kind of traditional meal in this region) or shouting competition in Gołdap. Every year in Turtul, there is organised Ivan Kupala Night with rituals, songs and floating wreaths made of flowers. There is special summer weekend in Suwałki during which the biggest blues stars are invited to perform at Suwałki Blues Festival. In winter in Kumiecie wood (part of Gołdap) a ski racing event called "Bieg Jaćwingów" is organised. The route is preserved in winter and you can use it whenever you want.

Suwalski Landscape Park

The oldest and perhaps the most well-known park in Poland. The biggest asset of it is the postglacial landscape with numerous lakes. Because there is more open space here than in Romincka forest, its beauty is more noticeable. Tourist attractions of this park are: the deepest lake in Poland called Hańcza, the boulders (e.g. Bachanowo), a hanging valley etc. The registered office of the park is situated in Turtul, where you can buy maps, folders, popular science publications and promotional materials about the park (see Suwalski Landscape Park

... and many more ...

Apart from typical attractions for tourists, you can spend time walking, cycling in summer, cross skiing in winter, picking mushrooms in autumn, fishing all year round. You can ride a horse (e.g. in Bludzie), there is also possibility to organize a chaise ride or a sledge ride... You can also use an offer of specialist trips (e.g. nature trips on the territory of forest are organized by the Woodpecker)

IT

Tourist information

Promotion Centre of Gołdap Region; pl. Zwycięstwa 16; Gołdap - you can purchase maps and publications about the region here